ACTA VETERINARIA ET ZOOTECHNICA SINICA ›› 2019, Vol. 50 ›› Issue (1): 203-210.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2019.01.023

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Effects of Dietary Supplementation of Palmitic Acid on Lactation Performance, Blood Biochemical Indexes and Hormone Concentration in Early Lactation Holstein Dairy Cows

ZHANG Haibo*   

  1. College of Life Science and Resources and Environment, Yichun University, Yichun 336000, China
  • Received:2018-07-09 Online:2019-01-23 Published:2019-01-24

Abstract:

This experiment was conducted to study the effects of dietary supplementation of palmitic acid on lactation performance, blood biochemical indexes and hormone concentration in early lactation Holstein dairy cows. Thirty healthy Chinese Holstein dairy cows with similar body weight ((598.49±30.98) kg), parity (2-4 fetuses), lactation stage(15-37 days of calving) and lactation production ((20.76±3.32) kg) were randomly divided into 3 groups, each group with 10 cows and one cow in each replicate. Cows in the control group were fed the basal diet, and cows in the experimental groups were supplemented with 2.0% and 4.0% palmitic acid in the basal diet, respectively. The trial lasted for 60 days. Milk samples and blood samples were taken at the beginning and end of the test to determine the milk compositions and the blood biochemical indexes and hormone concentrations. The results showed that:1) The daily dry matter intake, initial milk yield, feed efficiency, initial milk fat rate, milk protein rate, milk non-fat solid (NFS) rate, and the the contents of initial lactose, free fatty acids, glucose, acetoacetic acid, β-hydroxybutyrate, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), insulin, glucagon and leptin were not significantly different among the 3 treatment groups (P>0.05); 2) Compared with the control group, 2.0% and 4.0% palmitic acid groups significantly increased milk yield, standard milk (FCM) yield and the post-treatment milk fat rate, glucose, insulin and IGF-1 concentrations (P<0.05), and significantly decreased the post-treatment acetoacetic acid, β-hydroxybutyrate, free fatty acid, glucagon and leptin concentrations (P<0.05); 3) There was no significant difference in milk yield, FCM yield, milk protein rate, milk NFS rate and lactose, glucose, acetoacetic acid, β-hydroxybutyrate, free fatty acid, IGF-1, insulin, glucagon and leptin concentrations between the 2.0% and 4.0% palmitic acid groups (P>0.05). These results indicated that dietary supplementation of 2.0% or 4.0% palmitic acid could reduce the ketone body production, improve milk production and quality by regulating hormone secretion in early lactation dairy cows. Under the conditions of this test, the best dose for the effect is to supplement the diet with 2.0% palmitic acid.

Key words: early lactation cows, palmitic acid, lactation performance, milk quality, hormone concentration

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